Baltimare Horror
by Shade Ombre
Summary: When Sweetie Belle runs off to the city of Baltimare to get her cutie mark, Rarity and her friends go after her. But, in the dark streets of the city, nothing is as it seems. Can they find Sweetie Belle among disappearing unicorns, mechanical horrors prowling the streets, and a plot to overthrow Celestia herself? With lives on the line, they must hurry. Rated T for various themes.
1. Prologue, part one

Prologue, part 1: A train station to Manehattan

Sweetie Belle stood on the train platform, eagerly awaiting the moment when the train arrives and sweeps her away for a chance at fame and stardom. It was quite a warm day today, as Celestia's mighty sun shone its radiant beams down over the quaint little town of Ponyville. The sky was extraordinarily blue, and the pegasi had cleared it all of clouds, and it would probably remain that way for the next week or so, according to Rainbow Dash. Sweetie Belle smiled at the thought of her friend, and let out a quiet and soft sigh as she thought over her entire plan.

Her plan, in theory, was extremely simple, as long as nopony decided to stop her. You see, Sweetie Belle had come up with an idea after hearing her sister, Rarity, mention something off hoof to her a few, short days ago. Rarity was talking about her recent trip to Manehattan, and how it was the city that dreams were built on. A city that can make you from a nopony, into an anypony. Rarity had told her all about the amazing features of the city, of the beautiful buildings that rose up many, many times taller than anything that was in Ponyville, to the amazing theatres and musicals that were on Bridleway. To the young, impressionable filly that is Sweetie Belle, this seemed like the answer. The way to get her cutie mark, and to make a name for herself, as well as to make Rarity, and the rest of her dear friends proud. While they may not like her going off to Manehattan by herself, and without a doubt, they would try to stop her, she knew, deep within her heart, that the golden streets of Manehattan are where she will make herself.

However, thinking about her friends made her sad, because her thoughts quickly made their way to her two greatest friends in the world: Scootaloo, and Apple bloom. She imagined their faces, the very picture of sadness and confusion, upset that they had not been taken along on this great journey for the illustrious cutie mark in the far off city of Manehattan. Sweetie Belle knew that they had made a promise a while ago that they would find their cutie marks together, as friends, and she could rightly understand their hurt and the sense of utter betrayal that they would feel from her act of leaving Ponyville without them. But she knew that she couldn't tell them. Scootaloo would get excited, and the orange pegasus would only go and accidentally tell somepony, be it Rainbow Dash in the hope that she would go along with it, or to boast in the face of the two brats, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Apple bloom, however, could be more trusted with keeping the plan to herself, but she would probably struggle to find a way to get away from the farm, and the ever watchful eye of her sister, Applejack.

So, no. This is a journey that Sweetie Belle has decided to take on her own, although with doubt and worry plaguing her young filly mind. She wondered what would happen to her if Rarity found out. She feared that she might not even make it in Manehattan, and there was just a small, very small part of her that hoped that the train wouldn't arrive. It hadn't yet, and she wasn't exactly sure when it would, but she did hope that it was soon.

She paused in her thinking and her doubting, and decided to check in her saddlebags to see if she had brought all the things she thought that she needed. Slowly, and carefully, she went through her meager possessions: A generous helping of Bits, which she had saved up for situations like these, a crease and folded flyer of Manehattan, which she had taken from her sisters desk, and also a small amount of light blue and red gems, just in case. She had also taken a larger, green gem, all from Rarity's collection. She knew that she would get into a huge amount of trouble for this, especially since these gems were going to be used on the next dress that her sister was in the middle of designing. The thoughts of her sister getting angry with her upset her, so she focused her concentration on the green gem that she was now held loosely between her hooves. Suddenly, a thought hit her.

She hadn't bought a ticket.

While to some, buying a ticket to the place you're going to is top priority, but in truth, Sweetie Belle hadn't thought that far ahead. She just had the idea of going to Manehattan, and had decided that the actual getting there could be sorted out later. It was only now, when she was so close to getting to Manehattan that the ticket slipped into her mind.

She didn't have enough Bits for a ticket, and the sign next to the ticket booth clearly stated that gems were not an expectable form of currency for a ticket.

It all seemed hopeless to Sweetie Belle at this point. With no ticket, she couldn't possibly get to Manehattan, and if she couldn't get to Manehattan, then how was she possibly going to rise to the top, earn her cutie mark, and impress her sister?

Tears began to form at the corners of her large, green eyes, and she felt the large gem slip from her small hooves. It hit the floor with a sharp _clink,_ and through blurry eyes, she saw it roll away from her.

She watched it, as the tears ebbed down her face, readying herself to go back home to Rarity, to forget the idea, and focus on other activities, like she normally did with Apple bloom and Scootaloo. However, the gem came to a halt; it had been stopped by a hoof, one clad in soft black fabric, which was connect to a stallion who had just arrived at the platform.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, and for a moment Sweetie Belle said nothing. But then she had an idea.

This stallion could help her get to Manehattan…


	2. Prologue, part two

**AN: This is the second part of the prologue, and I'd like to apologize for dividing it up like this, but I felt that it was better this way. Anyway, please read and review, to tell me if you liked the story, disliked, etc. **

Prologue, part 2: Have a Ticket, Will Travel.

As Sweetie Belle thought about how the unknown stallion could help her get to the city of her dreams, the stallion in question spoke again.

"Are you okay?" he queried, his voice sounding soft and concerned, but Sweetie Belle figured that it only did so because she was just a small filly crying her eyes out. Anypony else, and he probably wouldn't have paid attention.

The tears had stopped flowing from her green eyes, and she looked up to see who was addressing her.

The stallion standing before her was, indeed, completely unknown to her. He was an earth pony, lacking the wings and horns that pegasi and unicorns had. She had never seen him in Ponyville before, and she doubted that he resided in the town. He looked like he was just passing through, moving on from one town to the next on a flitting whim, or maybe business. Judging by his appearance, it could well be business. His pelt was a grayish white in hue, and his short, dark blue mane was slicked back in a style that reminded Sweetie Belle of some of the other ponies that passed through town on business. His eyes were a vivid forest green, standing out from the rest of his color palette. Around his neck, there was a crisp, white collar, with a matching slim, grey and red tie. Sweetie Belle couldn't see his cutie mark, but she could see the small business case that stood next to him. A small part of her wondered what could reside within the case, but another small part told her it wasn't her business.

She looked up at the taller stallion, and she spoke in a soft, almost nervous voice;

"I-I'm fine sir. Thank you for asking. I'm okay, really."

"You just didn't seem okay. What's wrong? Are you lost?"

"Oh, no sir!" she said, becoming more confident with each passing moment, "I'm just waiting for a train but…" she trailed off, hoping that the stallion would continue asking questions. And, sure enough, he did.

"But what? He asked, sounding curious at why such a young filly would be catching a train.

"Well…I don't have a ticket…" small tears began to form at the edges of her eyes as she said this. The stallion just looked at her, slightly confused.

"But hasn't your mother or family got you one? I mean, surly they would have got you one for the journey, wouldn't they?"

Sweetie Belle thought fast, and came up with an excuse that she hoped would work.

"Well…My family are sending me off to Manehattan, to make something of myself, but they must have forgotten to get me a ticket…" she lied. The stallion looked at her sympathetically, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Well, you could just go back and get them to buy you a ticket." He seemed pleased with the solution that he had come up with, until Sweetie Belle began talking again.

"But they couldn't sir. I mean, they're very poor, and they gave all the money they have to me, just to ensure my future in the city. But what little I do have isn't enough for a simple ticket to Manehattan." She cried, soft sobs mixing with the lies that fell from her innocent mouth. While she sobbed softly, the stallion closed his eyes in thought. Suddenly, a solution came to mind.

"Why don't I buy you your ticket?" he said, as he opened his business case, and rummaged inside for the Bits needed. Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up, and the sobs stop, although tears still ran down her face.

"You would do that? For me?" she was exited now. Her dream would finally come true.

"Of course. I'm always one to help a pony in need." He said, a small smile etched on his grey face, as he closed the small case. He paused for a moment, and then said;

"Here's your gem." And with that, he gently kicked it towards her. She stopped it with her front hooves, and smiled as she gazed upon her multiple reflections in its shiny, polished surface. As she properly looked at the beautiful jewel for the first time, she became enraptured by it. She could see why Rarity loved them so much. She would have stayed like that for a while, just looking at the gem, but the stallion broke her gaze at the gem by saying;

"You don't want to go to Manehattan."

"What…?" Sweetie Belle replied, not understanding what he had said.

"You really don't want to go to Manehattan." The stallion state, rather bluntly, as he began to walk slowly towards the ticket booth. Sweetie Belle followed, unsure at what he meant.

"But sir! I need to go to Manehattan! If I don't go then how will I make something of myself?" She asked, although at points it sounded more like she was pleading.

"You won't make anything of yourself in Manehattan. You wouldn't even survive." He stated, glancing at the filly out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes I will!" Sweetie Belle said, defiantly. "It's the city that dreams are built on! The city where the streets are paved with gold and-"the stallion cut her off abruptly.

"The streets are lined with lead. It'll poison you and cripple you until you just can't walk again, and then the other desperate treading the same path will finish you off just to give themselves a few more pitiful days trying to score big on Bridleway, or in the Bit market or whatever. It ain't all sunshine and smilin' business ponies in that place." He said, stopping to look at Sweetie Belle, who just looked at him, tears forcing their way back into her eyes. She was silent, and the stallion continued;

"You can't make anythin' of yourself out there. If you're lucky, then it'll be the Hooferville urchin camp for you. But you, being young and naive and a unicorn, will be unlucky. You'll end up some in some place down in Little Unicorne, being presided over by some old member of the Equus crime family that rules down there, forced to steal and have nothing belong to you, not even that precious white pelt on your back. The horrors that reside in that city make livin' in the Everfree Forest look like a simple cakewalk," he finished, looking into the gobsmacked face of Sweetie Belle. She had never considered the dangers of the big city, just her dreams and aspirations. Now she was questioning if she wanted to go, as well as questioning what a 'cakewalk' was. Feeling a small lump rise in her throat, Sweetie belle asked;

"B-But then what will I do? Where will I go?" he voice was shaky, but she was determined to remain confident.

"Come with me. To Baltimare."

"Baltimare?" she had heard of the place, but she knew nothing about it. Nobody she knew had ever been to the city, and she hadn't heard anyone in Ponyville mention it in passing conversation.

"Yes, Baltimare. It may not be as large, or as famous as Manehattan, but it is safer for someone like you. And, there is more opportunity…" he smiled, trailing off, before he began to move towards the ticket station once more. Sweetie Belle followed him in earnest, hoping to learn more about the mysterious city.

"What sort of opportunity?" she asked, wondering what Baltimare could offer that Manehattan couldn't. Apart from being a street filly, that is. The stallion just looked at her, and smiled, before placing a hoof on the front desk of the Ponyville train ticket booth.

"I'll tell you in just a second." He said, before turning his attention to the stallion that was sat behind the glass that separated him from the customers.

The stallion was amber in colour, although it was tinted with a light shade of grey, while his mane was dark amber. His eyes, light cobalt blue, were observing the writing on the paper in front of him. No clothing graced his slender form, apart from a name tag which, in big bold letters read: "Hello, my name is Dr. Hooves, ticket booth operator." The stallion continued to stare down at the paper, seemingly ignoring his two customers. After about a minute though, he realised that he did have customers, and he lifted his head from the paper.

"Terribly sorry to keep you waiting! I was just so involved with this story here…" He said, his face bearing an apologetic smile. Sweetie Belle was sure that she recognized him, possibly from around town or such. Dr. Hooves continued;

"So, what tickets do you want?" he asked, sounding polite and keeping his eyes fixed on the stallion opposite him. The stallion began to speak.

"Well, Paul," he started, blatantly ignoring the name tag, and earning him an unnoticed scowl from Dr. Hooves, "could you give me two of your finest tickets to Baltimare, if you would be so kind?" he asked, placing enough Bits for the tickets down on the wooden counter, before pushing them towards the Doctor. Dr. Hooves looked at the stallion, then the Bits, before replacing his scowl with a smile, and producing two golden coloured tickets, with "Baltimare" inscribed on the front in large, fancy red letters.

As the stallion began to walk away, and as Sweetie Belle began to do likewise, Dr. Hooves called out to them;

"It'll just be another ten minutes before it arrives, so you know!"

The stallion called back in thanks, and walked to the edge of the platform, waiting for the train. Sweetie Belle rested beside him, eagerly waiting the train to arrive. She realised that she had never actually been on a train, and that made her even more excited. She looked up at the stallion, whose eyes were focusing on something in the distance. She gazed at him, a stallion of mysteries, and decided that this was the craziest thing that she had ever done. Going on a train, to a city further that she had ever been, with a stallion that she didn't even know the name of.

She followed his line of sight with her own eyes, but after a while she decided that he wasn't looking at anything, so she decided to look around the platform.

Empty. The whole platform was empty, save for the stallion and herself, and Dr. Hooves, who was once again preoccupied with his paper. Sweetie Belle sighed, bored, and looked back at the tracks, when she heard for the first time the unmistakable sound of the train. She looked at it excitedly, its form seeming like it was sent straight from Princess Celestia to carry herself off for greater things. She almost couldn't hold back the tears of excitement, as she looked upon the bright red and gold carriages, some holding ponies, others completely empty. She smiled, her face lighting up.

The stallion smiled a little, and watched as the train came to a halt before them. He began to walk towards the open carriage door, passing the conductor who had jumped off to make sure everything was fine on this end of the line. Sweetie Belle eagerly followed him like a little adorable puppy, as he stepped up and into the open door of the train. However, before the small white unicorn could get on the train, the stallion turned to her, and stopped her.

"Are you really sure that you want to do this? To come to Baltimare is a big gamble on your behalf. If you want to turn back, I wouldn't mind." He said, a sad smile gracing his face. Sweetie Belle looked at him, then at the floor in thought, before replying;

"I'm sure, sir."

"That's settles it then, and he began to walk further into the train, before Sweetie Belle stopped him with a question.

"Excuse me sir, but…What's your name? Mine's Sweetie Belle!" she said, jumping onto the train and moving so that she was right beside the stallion

"Sweetie Belle? Nice name. You can call me Tre." And with that, he continued to walk down the corridor of the train.

"Alright, Mr. Tre!" Sweetie Belle said, before trotting happily behind him.


End file.
